The Making of a Spider
by DarylDixon'sgirl1985
Summary: Mythology!AU. Lavender is a master weaver, or at least she is in her own mind's eye. But when she challenges the goddess of wisdom and battle strategy to a weave off she will get more than she bargained for. Who will be seen to be the better weaver? What will happen to the one who loses?


**Amulets and Talismans: Talismans with Unsettling Histories assignment: Task 5 Gorgoneion - Write a Mythology!AU**

**Insane Prompt List: 295. (character) Hermione Granger**

**Warning for a Mythology!AU, also slight out of character. Word count is 1,233 words. I hope you all enjoy The Making of a Spider.**

Weaving. It was the one thing that had always made Lavender happy. She'd sit at her ancient loom handed down from generation to generation in her family and weave the day away. She liked to boast that she was even better at weaving than goddess of wisdom and battle strategy herself.

One day Lavender was boasting as usual as she tried to sell the items she'd finished making on her loom. The fabrics depicted a bright summer's day, a green pasture full of cattle, and a winter scene. Everyone was fawning over the items she'd made.

"How do you do it, Lavender?" her friend from down the street, Parvati asked her with a smile. She and everyone in the crowd knew what the answer would be. It was the same answer they always got when they asked questions about Lavender's weaving.

"I'm just that talented," the boastful blonde girl said. "It just happens naturally."

Unbeknownst to Lavender or anyone else in the small group, someone who was less than pleased with Lavender's statement was watching. The goddess of wisdom and battle strategy herself was standing in the crowd. Glowering at anyone who dared to agree with Lavender's boastful comments.

"They say you are better than Hermione, the goddess of wisdom and battle strategy, at weaving," the goddess with the chocolaty brown hair and eyes said, stepping forward arms folded over her chest.

"I would say that's a very accurate statement," Lavender said, not realizing who she was talking with. "Why do you ask?"

"Have you seen any of the goddess's work to compare the two side by side?"

Someone in the crowd laughed. Another person called out asking what that had to do with anything. But Hermione remained unmoved by the calls of the mortals.

"I haven't seen the goddess's work," Lavender admitted. "But a few of the people who have bought my items have and they say that I'm better than her."

Anger crackled through Hermione's veins. How dare this little upstart of a girl think she was better at anything than Hermione? How dare she at all?

It was while fuming about the nerve and impetuousness of the young girl that the idea struck Hermione.

_This little girl thinks she better than I am, _Hermione thought bitterly. _Then we'll see who is the better weaver between us in a weave off._

"Perhaps we can settle this matter in a way," Hermione suggested matter of factly. "You say that you are better than the goddess." At Lavender's nod she smiled. "Then you would have no problem having a weaving contest between the two of us?"

The whole crowd gasped in shock. They'd made mock of the goddess's artwork in front of her without noticing that she was there. Looking between mortal and goddess, the crowd waited with bated breath to hear what Lavender's answer would be.

Lavender could feel not only the eyes of the crowd upon her but also the eyes of the goddess herself. If she said no to the contest then she might as well be saying that she was a liar. If she said yes to contest and lost then she would be considered a liar too. But if she said yes to the contest and won she'd be considered the best weaver in the entire world. Knowing it might be folly in the end she agreed.

"I would have no problem with a weaving contest to see who is the best weaver between us, my lady," she said with a small bow of respect. After all, she was speaking to a goddess. One always had to show the gods respect. "Just name the when and the where and I will be there with my loom and wool."

They agreed that they would meet in the same spot at the same time the next day. The night for Lavender to get inspiration. The goddess herself didn't need inspiration. She already knew what she was going to weave.

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The next day dawned far too early for Lavender's liking. She'd only just fallen asleep three hours ago after getting her ideas together for what she was going to weave in the contest. It seemed almost unfair but she wasn't going to complain. She would weave her heart out and hopefully she would win.

After a hasty breakfast of fruit Lavender began the trek out to the spot that she'd been selling her tapestries yesterday. She could already see the crowd growing as she approached the spot. Wool, loom, and needle in hand. Her heart in her throat she prayed to any god or goddess who wasn't friendly to Hermione to help her out.

"We were afraid you weren't going to make it, Lavender," Hermione called, as she spotted the blonde girl walking towards with her weaving implements in hand. "Shall we go over the rules of the contest?"

Lavender nodded even though she knew that Hermione could do whatever she felt like doing. Hermione was a goddess after all.

"We'll each weave a tapestry of fabric," Hermione stated. "Then we'll let the gods and these good people decide whose is the better tapestry between the two. Whoever they decide upon will be considered the best weaver between us."

Lavender nodded. Setting up her weaving supplies in her usual spot. She'd felt so confident yesterday when she had taken the contest. But now she felt like her breakfast was going to make a reappearance at any moment.

"Ready?" asked Seamus, another one of Lavender's neighbors. "Weave!"

Lavender had settled on one of the legends she'd grown up with. The kidnapping of Europa as her inspiration. Her finger dashed across her work, and slowly but surely the work began to come together. She looked over to find that her opponent was more than a capibile weaver as well.

The goddess had chosen for her inspiration her contest again the lord of the sea, Draco. Her work was elegant and flawless. Of course, she'd been weaving for far longer than Lavender had. Being immortal and all that.

Hours past with each contestant putting their all into their piece of artwork. Then came the finishing touches.

"Alright," Hermione said as she finished her piece. "Let's see who has the best piece shall we?"

Lavender nodded and stood beside Hermione's piece of work. She could see the intricate little movements of the horses, olive trees, even the tiny people in the village. She had to admit that she was wrong about who was the better weaver out of the two.

Regretting her boastful words of yesterday she turned to her opponent who waited for what she had to say. "I'm sorry, my lady," Lavender said. "You work is quite exquisite. I was wrong about who was the better weaver out of the two of us. Please forgive me?"

Hermione could see the young woman's mind working overtime. She was trying to get out of being punished for her crime of speaking against a goddess. She followed the young woman's eyes to a rope hanging from a rafter.

"I don't think so," Hermione whispered as she watched Lavender slip the rope around her neck to hang herself. Making some quick movements she turned Lavender into a spider.

Weaving was all that Lavender had left now. Weaving was her life, and she would weave up until the hour of her death. All because of her selfish pride.

* * *

**Cast of characters:**

**Athena Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy - Hermione Granger**

**Arachne Mother of all Spiders - Lavender Brown**

**Poseidon**** God of the Sea - Draco Malfoy**

**I hope you all enjoyed The Making of a Spider as much as I enjoyed writing it. **


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